December 15

Luke xvi. — 1. And he said also unto his disciples, There was a certain rich man which had a steward; and the same was accused unto him that he had wasted his goods.

2. And he called him, and said unto him, How is it that I hear this of thee? Give an account of thy stewardship; for thou mayest be no longer steward.

3. Then the steward said within himself, What shall I do? for my lord takeeth away from me the stewardship: I cannot dig; to beg I am ashamed.

4. I am resolved what to do, that, when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses.

5. So he called every one of his lord's debtors unto him, and said unto the first, How much owest thou unto my lord?

6. And he said, An hundred measures of oil. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and sit down quickly, and write fifty.

7. Then said he to another, And how much owest thou? And he said, An hundred measures of wheat. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and write fourscore.

8. And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely; for the children of this

world are in their generation wiser than the children of light.

9. And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations.

10. He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much; and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.

11. If, therefore, ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?

12. And, if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man's, who shall give you that which is your own?

13. No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

14. And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things; and they derided him.

15. And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.

The difficulties of this parable, which grow out of the apparent commendation of a shrewd yet dishonest worldly policy, and the apparent intimation that heaven can be purchased by deeds of charity, are well met by the commentary of Dean Alford, in substance as follows: All that is dishonest and furtive in the character of the steward belonged entirely to him as a child of this world. Even in this character there was a point to praise and imitate; but, in bringing up the example into the purer air which the children of light breathe, its grosser parts drop off, and the finer only remain. The children of this world act cleverly for their own interests. Although you are children of the light and the day, and can do

no such furtive acts, yet I say to you, "So use this mammon of unrighteousness, by bestowing it on the poor and needy, that ye shall make to yourselves friends, who, when this world departs, shall welcome you to one which shall not fail." "God repays in their name. They receive us there with joy, if they are gone before us: they receive us there by making us partakers of their prayers, which, even during this life, move the hand that moves the world."

While, therefore, the parable does not warrant either purchasing indulgences, or praying to saints, it does teach that deeds of kindness performed to saints on earth shall be requited with a fellowship of love and joy in heaven.

APPROPRIATE HYMNS.]

Prayer.

[Nos. 10, 39, 44.

O Thou who never slumberest nor sleepest! we have lain down and slept, and have risen again, because thou, Lord, hast sustained us. Thou hast kept us from the alarm of sickness and death, from deeds of darkness and the hand of violence. Thankful for the mercies of the night, we commit ourselves unto thee with all our wakeful powers, humbly beseeching thee to guide us in ways of truth and righteousness for thy name's sake. Send unto us, we pray thee, such prosperity as thou seest to be best for us; and, above all, grant that our souls, being freed from sin, may prosper and be in peace, through the grace of Jesus Christ our Lord. Oh, may his mind be in us! and may we be made like unto him! — holy, harmless, undefiled, and separate from sinners. Oh! help us to give up all things for Christ; to know the joy of losing ourselves in him, the sweetness of bear-

ing the cross for Him who hath borne our sorrows. May we have the charity of the gospel, and do good in little things, by the word, the look, the act of kindness, in the Saviour's name! Teach us to see in our fellow-men the children of our Father in heaven, and to feel their wants and sorrows as our own. May our philanthropy be pure, free, broad, patient, self-sacrificing, and generous!

We thank thee, O Lord! for the friends thou hast given us, and pray that these may all be joined with us in the fellowship of thy redeemed. We supplicate thy favor for the poor and needy, the sick, the afflicted, the dying; for any who are suffering by pestilence, famine, or war; for all sorts and conditions of men; that thou wouldst be pleased to make thy ways known unto them, thy saving health unto all nations, through Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour. Amen.